Phantom minnow



April 9, 194a TEINHOFF 2,196,508

PHANTOM MINNOW Filed March 27, 1939 IN VENTOR.

ATTORNEYS I 35 With these and other objects in view, my inrounded and carved out of the body so that they Patented Apr. 9. 1940 UNITED STAT-ESv PATENT. OFFICE PHANTOM MINNOW Fred Steinhofl, FortDodg e; Iowa; ApplicationMarch 27, 1939, Serial No. 264,371

9' Claims. (o1.4a 41) An object of my'invention is to provide a or any suitable soft wood to facilitate its speed'of phantom minnow of simple, durable and inex-" rotation. The body B has at its forward end a pensive construction. slot, the bottom'of which is indicated-at l and A further object is to provide a phantom minthe top thereof at 12. Received in this slot is a now which is made'of light materialsuch as propeller plate P having propeller blades 13 bent 5 swamp willow or other soft light wood, the minin opposite directions as shown in Figure 1 to now including a swivel and propeller blades for cause rotation of the body B when the minnow is rotating the body of the minnow so that in makdrawn through the water after a cast; ing casts the minnow goes into action the in- The plate P has-an upstanding flangel l at its 0 stant it strikes the water and remains in action forward end'provided with a perforation l5. A as it follows the sinker downwardly to the level swivel S extends through the perforation I5 and at which it is retrieved. This function is of parhas a forward eye it exposed beyond the front ticularly vital importancein the successful catchend of the body B. The other eye of the swivel ing of pike and bass. v v is indicated at l! andis located within the body I 15 Another object is to provide aminnow which B. Space is provided in the body B in the form of ,16

is made of light. material so thatit can revolve a groove it for the swivel. l I l at a relatively high speed and to provide the v Theplate P .isiperforated as at l9 to receive propeller blades made of sheet metal so that they a screw 29. The screw'extends into the body B can be readily bent to change the speed of rotaand serves to retain the propeller plate in astion as desired. sembled position and also extends through the 20 Another object is to provide a phantom mineye ll of the swivel S so as to anchor the swivel now in which a stock swivel can be used, there to the body B. Side openingslots 2| are'probeing provided a novel arrangement for connectvided in the body B and communicate withxthe ing the hook leaders to the swivel and in 'turn eye l7. Extending longitudinally through'the connecting the swivel rigidly in the body of the body is a bore 22, the forward end of which com- 5 minnow by means of a screw or the like, which municatesi-with the eye I! and the rear end 'of screw also serves to retain the propeller blade in which opens at the tail end of the body B. position. j I 1 Adoubled leader 23 passes through the eye I! A further object is to providea leader arrangeand is connected as at 24 to a tail hook 25. Side 'ment for the side hooks of the minnow which leaders 26 in the form of a single cord knotted at 39 elfectively mounts the hooks relative to the min- 21 in'the eye l! are provided. Their free ends now body and prevents any chafing orundue are connected as at 28 to side hooks 29. The Wear of the side leaders extending out of the sides side opening slots 2| for the side leaders 26, it of the body. will be noted by reference to Figures 2 and 3, are

5 vention consists in thec'onstruction, arrangement minimize any possibility of chafing of the leaders and combination of the various parts of my de-' 26 against'theiredges. vice whereby the objects contemplated are at- The tail'end ofthe body B is P v w i tained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, p of fi members 30 d of fl xible ma e- 40 pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the rial such as oilcloth or the like so as to minimize 40 accompanying drawing, in which: x resistance to turning movement of theminnow Figure 1 is a plan view of a phantom minnow and yet give a lifelike appearance to the minnow. embodying my invention. 1 Surface ornamentations such as representations Figure 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional of eyes at 3| and surface markings at 32 may also 5 view therethrough looking downwardly and taken be provided to enhance the lifelike appearance of just above a swivel and a propeller plate of the the minnow. I minnow; and I p I have provided-a phantom minnow which goes Figure 3 is a side elevation partly in section on into. action the instant it strikes the water due to v the line 3-3 of Figure 2 showing theman'ner of the lightness of the minnowin proportion to its connecting thepropeller plate and swivel in the size. w The propeller blades I3 effect a relatively *50 body of the minnow. I v rapid rotation of the minnow and the speed of On the accompanying drawing I have used the rotation may be readily changed by bending the reference character B to indicate generally the blades l3 to different degrees of inclination. The body of my phantom minnow. The body 3 is swivel S is well anchored in the body B by the formed of light material such as swamp willow screw 20 and theleaders also vareassuredof an 55 adequate connection in the body by extending through the swivel eye I! and the eye in turn having the screw 20 extending through it.

The parts of the minnow are inexpensive to manufacture and can be readily assembled and due to the rugged construction disclosed the minnow has a relatively long life. Where the minnow is made in larger sizes the specific gravity is low enough to permit the minnow to float, which is beneficial in the case of backlash and this eliminates the possibility of the hooks snagging on obstructions at the bottom of the stream.

Some changes may be made in the construction and, arrangement of the parts of my device without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intentionto cover by my. claims any modified forms of structure, or use of mechanical equivalents, which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

l. Ina phantom minnow, an elongated body having a slot therein at the head end thereof, a

, propeller plate extending through said slot and having blades located on opposite sides of said body, said propeller plate being formed of sheet metal whereby to facilitate bending of said blades at different degrees of inclination to secure different speeds of rotation of said body, a swivel, said body having a groove adjacent said slot to receive said swivel, said propeller plate having a flange at the forward end thereof, said flange having a perforation through which said swivel extends with one eye of the swivel exposed beyond the head end of the body and the other eye thereof located in said groove, a screw extending into said body and throughsaid last mentioned eye, leaders connected with said eye, said body having openingsfor said leaders to extend through from said eye to the exterior of said body, and hooks connected with the free ends of said leaders.

2. In a phantom minnow, an elongated body formed of soft light wood, said body having a slot therein at the head end thereof, a propeller blades located on opposite sides of said body, a double end swivel partially in said body, fastening means extending into said body through said propeller plate and through one eye of said swivel, leaders connected with said eye, and hooks connected with the free ends of said leaders.

3. In a phantom minnow, a body, a propeller plate for rotating said body, a swivel, said body having a socket to receive said swivel, said swivel having one eye exposed beyond the head end of said body and the other eye thereof located in said socket, common means extending through said last mentioned eye and through said propeller plate to anchor said swivel and saidplate in said body, leaders connected with the sides of said eye, openings in said body for saidleaders, and hooks connected with the free ends or" said leaders.

4. In a phantom minnow, a body, a propeller plate for rotating said body, a swivel connected with said body, a screw extending into said body and through said swivel, said body having a longitudinal bore from said swivel to the tail end 7 of the body, side opening slots in said body communicating with said swivel, leaders connected with said swivel and extending through said bore and side opening slots, hooks connected withthe freeends of said leaders, and a relatively flexible tail fin connected with the tail end of said body.

5. In a phantom minnow, a body, a propeller plate for rotating said body, a swivel, said body having a socket to receive said swivel, said swivel having one eye exposed beyondthe head end of said body and the other eye thereof located in said socket, means extending into said body and through said last mentioned eye and said propeller plate, said body having a longitudinal bore from said eye to the tail end of the body, side opening slotsin said body communicating with said eye, leaders connected with said eye and extending through said bore and side opening slots, and hooks connected with the free ends of said leaders.

6. In a phantom minnow, an elongated body having a slot therein at the head end thereof, a propeller plate extending through said slot and having blades located on opposite sides of said body, a swivel, said body having a groove adjacent said slot to receive said swivel, said swivel having one eye thereof exposed beyond the head end of the body and the other eye thereof located in said groove, a screw extending into said body andthrough said last mentioned eye, said body having a longitudinal, bore from said, eye to the tail'end of the body, side opening slots in said body communicating with said eye and being widened rearwardly and outwardly from said eye, leaders connected with said eye and extending through said bore and side opening slots, and. hooks connected with the free ends of said leaders.

'7.In .a phantom minnow, a body, a propeller plate for rotating said body, a swivel for propelling said body, said body having a socket to partially receive said swivel with one eye thereof exposed beyond the head end of the body and the other eye thereof located in said socket, means to anchor said swivel in said body, said body having-a longitudinal bore from said other eye to the tail end of the body and side opening slots communicating with said eye, leaders connected with said eye and extending through said bore and side opening slots,'and hooks connected with the free ends of said leaders.

8. In a phantom minnow, an elongated body, a propeller plate and a swivel adjacent the head end thereof, said swivel being partially embedded in said body, leaders connected with said swivel, said body having a longitudinal bore'and side opening slots communicating with the embedded portion of said swivel, said leaders extending through said bore and said side opening slots and connected with said swivel, and hooks connected with the free ends of said leaders.

9. In a phantom minnow, a body, a propeller plate and a swivel adjacent the head end thereof, said swivel having an eye within said body, leaders extending through said body and connected with said eye of said swivel, hooks connected with the free ends of said leaders, and means extending through said plate and said eye to anchor said plate and said swivel in said body and thereby also anchor said leaders in said body.

1 FRED STEINI-IOFF. 

